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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26797639">Promise</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyndakip/pseuds/cyndakip'>cyndakip</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Blaseball (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Baby Richmond and Hobbs, Canada Moist Talkers (Blaseball Team), Fluff, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:16:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,345</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26797639</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyndakip/pseuds/cyndakip</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hobbs and Richmond's first meeting.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hobbs Cain &amp; Richmond Harrison</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Canada Moist Talkers Fanfiction</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Promise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Aves and Joe (two of our wonderful moist artists) both drew some very adorable art of baby Richmond and Hobbs, and it inspired me to write a thing!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It's not until the sound of cheering starts echoing from overhead that Hobbs finally admits he might be lost.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He's not sure how this happened. This is far from his first time in Gleek Arena; he's watched quite a few Talkers games already in his short lifetime, and he's never before had a problem finding his seat, let alone </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> seat. And, yeah, he's always been curious about what might be lurking at the end of some of these darker corridors, but he hadn't been planning to find out </span>
  <em>
    <span>now</span>
  </em>
  <span>, not when the game is starting and the Talkers have been on a winning streak. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This hallway definitely isn't familiar. Hobbs can't even see the end of it; it's long and winding, curving towards parts of the arena that have only been rumored to exist. Moisture drips steadily from the ceiling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>More cheering from above. Have the Talkers scored already?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ah, whatever. If he can’t find his way back, he might as well find something interesting. Games happen all the time, but when will he get another opportunity to discover just what might be lurking in the depths of this place? He'll probably only miss a few innings, anyway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hobbs continues along the corridor, sneakers squelching with every step. The tunnel leads him deeper and deeper until the incline becomes so steep that he loses his footing entirely and slides the rest of the way down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He lands with a splash in a wide, dimly-lit cavern. It takes a moment for his eyes to adjust, but when they do, he can make out the large outline of --</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hobbs scrambles backwards in shock. He’s seen this shape before, caught a few glimpses of a faint silhouette against the skies above the field, like a lonely raincloud, but never understood until now. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Leviathan</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The word comes instinctively to his mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It shifts, moving closer, and he fights the urge to run away. Some deeper instinct is telling him to stay, stay because he’s meant to be here, he's meant to do something, something important.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Leviathan makes a noise, loud and soft and strange and familiar all at once. A request. A pact. It -- she -- uncurls as he steps forward, revealing a small round shape. Hobbs squints at it. It looks like... an egg? A wet pink egg. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The egg moves, rolling over, limbs flailing, blinking at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh. Not an egg. An actual baby.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You... you want me to look after your baby?” Hobbs asks, tentatively. “Uh, no offense, Mrs. Leviathan, but are you sure I'm the right one for the job? I mean, I'm just a kid myself. I don't even know how to tie my own shoes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Leviathan gurgles reassuringly. She trusts him, for some reason. Out of everyone in this stadium, she's chosen </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> for this important job.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hobbs stands a little taller. “Okay. I'll take good care of him. I won't let you down.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Satisfied that her child is in good paws, the Leviathan turns, slithering into one of the many tunnels on her way to do whatever the job of a Leviathan entails. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hobbs looks down at the baby. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Richmond</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His mind finds the name, somehow. He reaches out carefully and scoops the round, wiggling figure into his arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Two big dark eyes stare up at him, wide and curious. Richmond seems to study Hobbs for a moment, and then his mouth opens in a big smile, bringing forth a gush of drool.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hobbs is suddenly very conscious of the moisture coating every inch of this room, and tries not to shudder. If he wants to be a Moist Talker someday, he can't be bothered by spit. And he </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> doesn't want the Leviathan to think that he thinks her home and baby are gross.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Richmond is actually a pretty cute baby, despite the slobber, Hobbs decides as those curious eyes blink at him. He finds it hard to imagine that this little thing could someday grow up to be as gigantic as the Leviathan. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, hi. I'm Hobbs,” he begins, feeling kind of ridiculous. “I don't really know what I'm supposed to say to a baby. I guess you can't understand me anyway.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Richmond warbles. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hobbs is pretty sure that doesn't mean anything in particular, but he nods sagely, just in case it does. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The baby waves his arms, knocking Hobbs’ hat off his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey!” he yelps, managing to catch it before it hits the ground. “Be careful with that! It's a genuine official Moist Talkers hat, just like the players wear, and you’d better not ruin it!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Richmond pouts, his eyes starting to well up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Okay, fine, you can wear it,” Hobbs relents, not wanting him to start crying. “But just for a little while.” He takes the hat and eases it onto Richmond’s head. It slides down to mostly cover his eyes, but the baby doesn't seem to mind, returning to cheerful gurgling. Hobbs has to admit it's pretty adorable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your mom won't mind if I look around a bit, will she?” Hobbs asks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Richmond warbles.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I'll take that as a maybe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He does wander a bit, bouncing Richmond in his arms, peeking down all the tunnels but not daring to venture any further. Maybe if he does a good job, the Leviathan will show him the secrets of the arena, and he doesn't want to risk making her angry by exploring without permission. Every now and then he hears the faint sound of cheering from above and wishes he could see how the game was going, but he doesn't dare leave. At this point, he's not even sure which way is out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hobbs hums to the baby as he walks, soft sweet songs that his own mother still sings to him at night, though he'd never admit that to anyone. Richmond seems to like them too; his happy gurgling starts to get quieter and quieter until it turns to soft bubbly snores.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When is the Leviathan coming back? His arms are getting tired. He finds the least wet area of the cavern and slowly settles himself on the ground, leaning back against the wall and resting the baby in his lap. Richmond stirs, yawning, but slips right back into sleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hobbs yawns too, the drowsiness contagious. Maybe he’ll just close his eyes for a minute…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He's jolted awake by the rumbling call of the Leviathan, and panics at first -- but Richmond is still there, safe, staring up at him and drooling contentedly, the hat twisted to the side and starting to slide off. Hobbs picks it up, and those little arms immediately reach for it again. With a sigh of defeat, he puts it back on Richmond’s head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, you can look after it for me. Until I come back.” He looks up at the Leviathan for confirmation, though he already knows the answer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She takes her baby back with a nod. Hobbs has impressed her, and she’ll repay him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He bounces excitedly, the splash of his sneakers echoing off the walls. “So you'll show me around next time?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe, she says.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But there </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> be a next time, and he knows it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bye, Richmond,” Hobbs says softly. “See you soon.” He turns to the Leviathan. “Thank you for trusting me. I won’t tell anyone that you’re here.” He wants to, because this is just about the coolest story ever, but he knows it’s a very important secret to keep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Leviathan nods, satisfied, and gestures towards one of the many tunnels. Hobbs splashes his way there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turns back at the entrance. Richmond’s eyes are still on him, wide and trusting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll always keep you safe, okay? I promise I won't ever let anything bad happen to you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Many years later, Hobbs will realize this is an impossible promise to keep. But today, he walks back out into the light of the sun, his only concern being whether he'll miss the end of the game, and even that pushed aside by his excitement at the thought of seeing Richmond and the Leviathan again soon.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wrote this in an attempt to fill the Hobbs-shaped hole in my heart, but I think I just made myself sadder...</p>
<p>What with Hobbs being so quick to turn to necromancy, I figure he definitely would have been the sort of kid who'd go wandering in places he shouldn't be because he wants to know all the Cool Secret Forbidden Things.</p>
<p>Anyway please donate your peanuts to the Hobbs Cain Memorial Fund so Richmond can maybe see his friend again. Thank you.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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